It is perhaps too early to fully reflect, learn and absorb the lessons from Blake Morgan’s ‘generational’ office move from Bradley Court (our home in Cardiff since 1989) to the development site now known as Central Square.

But after just one month, you do start to understand the journey you have been on and the process that has brought us to this most wonderful place.

It has taken three years to realise this once in a generation opportunity. The easy choice would have been to stay put at park Place, smarten up the status quo and preserve the familiar, but we knew in our hearts that it was time for change.

Video interview: Blake Morgan's new HQ in Cardiff

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We were presented with a series of excellent opportunities in and around Cardiff all of which had merits - but what was right for us and could we find a solution on which we all agreed? Parking v public transport, open plan v offices, access, out of town v the Bay v the city, and if the latter where exactly was right for us as a growing, ambitious firm?

Help in shaping vision

Paul McCarthy of Rightacres, Neil Hanratty and the elected members of Cardiff Council including Russell Goodway and the leader Phil Bale (whose moral support was greatly appreciated), the local authority and our trusted designers at Office Visions were right beside us.

They all helped us shape and implement a vision for something new and very different for a law firm that owes its antecedents to those 19th century legal pioneers from the Valleys, Walter Morgan and Sir Gerald Bruce.

Gradually, vision started to become reality as plans were shared, evolved and became visible. Excitement began to grow and while we decommissioned our old office and 75% of the paper there, we began to prepare ourselves for a new way of working, a new mind-set and a new future.

Everyone bought into vision

Every one of our near 200 people bought into the vision heart and soul. Through sheer will power and no little enthusiasm, they were all determined to make this move work.

The collective inspiration garnered from our entire office in Cardiff and many colleagues outside of the city propelled us to March 14 and day one in Central Square. And what a day it was!

One Central Square, Cardiff

There’s more to come. We now look forward to welcoming the many other occupiers in this fantastic development as well as our new neighbours, the BBC, but right now we are enjoying something very special and for us for a while at least, unique.

Was it right to embrace open plan? Would it be too noisy? What about those confidential conversations all lawyers must have? Were there enough spaces to gain privacy?

Would we get on together – 180 people in the same space? Resoundingly positive cries from everyone almost every day.

Have there been teething problems? Well yes, but has it spoilt the fun? Not a bit.

A changing city

It is a privilege to come to work in this very special place and enjoy the company of all our colleagues in a way that wasn’t possible while we sojourned on four floors of what was a (very nice) rabbit warren.

The Blake Morgan team outside One Central Square, Cardiff. Pic (C) Huw John

No more offices. No more rooms. Removing the physical barriers. Creating social spaces to interact with each other - all good, very good!

Cardiff is changing fast. A fantastic city. A great place to visit, to live and work. To be a part of that changing landscape is an honour as we sit literally on top of possibly the most exciting development this city has seen in at least a generation.

In fact, Cardiff Central Station has already become a lifeline for many of our partners and staff who have now abandoned their cars and embraced the train. When the Metro comes in all its fullness (and please let that be soon) yet more transformation will follow and the way we live will change as well as where we work.

It’s only been a month. The best is yet to come, but for now we’re loving it!